G.Swanborough, P.Bowers United States Military Aircraft Since 1909 (Putnam)

WRIGHT F AND HS

After the Wright Brothers conformed to the general trend of design by putting the empennage in the rear with their model “B” in 1910, their next step was to abandon open work tail booms in favour of a fuselage that enclosed the two-man crew and the engine. The single Model F produced for the Army by the Wrights (serial 39) retained the old features of warping wing control and chain-drive pusher propellers. An improved Model HS, with shorter wings and a 60 h.p. Wright replacing the 90 h.p. Austro-Daimler of the F, was used by the Army at San Diego. Model F: span 42 ft.; length, 29 ft. 6 in.; gross weight, 2,100 lb.; high speed, 60 m.p.h. Model HS: span, 32 ft.; length, 26 ft 6 in.; wing area, 350 sq. ft.; gross weight, 1,000 lb.; high speed, 70 m.p.h.

Журнал Flight

Flight, November 20, 1914.

THE NEW WRIGHT BIPLANE.

ALTHOUGH changes have been made in the Wright biplanes since the first radical change of discarding the front elevator, it is remarkable how the main characteristics have been adhered to, even in the latest model that has just been turned out from the Dayton works. As will be seen from the accompanying illustration of this new Wright biplane, in spite of the fact that a distinct departure from usual Wright practice has been made, it is still the Wright biplane of old. The principal alteration in the machine in question consists of the covered-in fuselage, following somewhat tractor biplane practice. This fuselage is of rectangular section tapering to a vertical knife-edge fore and aft, giving a good streamline form. Mounted in the nose is the engine, a 60 h.p. 6-cyl. water-cooled Wright, which is enclosed by a stream-lined bonnet that can readily be removed so as to give access to the engine. Pilot and passenger are seated side by side in the fuselage immediately behind the engine, and level with the leading edge of the planes. The latter are of the usual Wright type, set at a slight dihedral angle. The lower plane is divided into two parts and attached to the fuselage. Two propellers are mounted at the rear of the planes in the orthodox Wright style, and are driven by chains and shaft from the engine. The radiator for cooling the engine is mounted between the planes behind the pilot and passenger. A single-tail plane and elevator, similar to those on previous Wright machines, is mounted on the rear extremity of the fuselage, with the vertical rudders above. A pair of running wheels are mounted immediately underneath the lower plane, one on either side of the fuselage. Here another Wright characteristic is retained, for the wheels being close to the lower plane brings the machine very close to the ground. The principal dimensions of this machine are: Span, 32 ft.; overall length, 26 ft. 5 ins.; supporting area, 350 sq. ft.; speed, 70 m.p.h.; climbing speed (two up and fuel for 4 hrs.), 400 ft. per min.